The Unruly Alphabet

In The Unruly Alphabet, illustrator Aaron McKinney uses the Latin alphabet to create a lively and haunting abecedary. The restless glyphs tangle and spar with one another, setting the stage for scenes where “A was arrested, while B bit bullies” and “G is gored, which makes H hurl.” McKinney renders the scenes with macabre detail and sinister wit, and the accompanying captions hum with gallows humor. The Unruly Alphabet is truly an alphabet book like no other, for the brooding child in every adult.

Aaron McKinney was born in Great Yarmouth, England, in 1977.  He was fortunate enough to spend his childhood scattered across the world from Scotland to Indonesia to Egypt. The constant upheaval caused him to turn inward and he began expressing his thoughts through art at a very young age. He attended Ringling College of Art and Design where he received a BFA in Illustration. McKinney's work combines a childlike fixation on funny creatures and odd hybrids with a peculiar, nightmarish monumentalism. McKinney lives and works in Atlanta with his wife and their two children. He’s currently working on a children’s book.